Penetrating Injury of the Heart From a Chronically Migrating Foreign Body.

A 46-year-old man experienced a remote unexpected lung injury with a sharp object. The object migrated over the years, penetrating the mediastinal structure, injuring the pericardium and the right-sided chambers of the heart. The injury was complicated by hemodynamic instability and pericardial tamponade. An emergent pericardiocentesis followed by thoracotomy, foreign body extraction, and puncture site closure. This is a very rare case of remote penetrating lung injury with a dormant course.